Methods and kit for modifying the strap of a shoulder-supportable bag

ABSTRACT

A method and kit for modifying the strap of a shoulder-supportable bag to reduce slippage of the strap, wherein a strap extends from a first part to a second part of the bag and has a top surface and a bottom surface, a portion of the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person&#39;s shoulder while transporting the bag. The kit consists essentially of: a flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member, the foam rubber member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of the strap and a length equal to or greater than the length of the portion of the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person&#39;s shoulder while transporting the bag; and, an adhesive member, the adhesive member adapted to fasten the foam rubber member to the strap, having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of the strap and a length equal to or less than the length of the foam rubber member.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed, in general, to shoulder-supportable bags and, more specifically, to methods and kits to modify shoulder-supportable bags to reduce slippage of the strap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shoulder-supportable bags include, for example, women's purses, shopping bags and camera cases. Such bags typically have a strap that extends from a first part to a second part of the bag and has a top surface and a bottom surface. A portion of the bottom surface of the strap rests on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag. In the case of women's purses, the strap is often made of real or synthetic leather, which generally has a smooth surface. Because of the smooth surface of the strap, and because many women's blouses are made of a low-friction fabric, such as silk, a common problem with shoulder-supportable bags is that the strap often slips off a woman's shoulder. To overcome this tendency of the strap to slip off her shoulder, a woman must hold the bag or strap in place, which makes it difficult to pick up and examine items while shopping.

Prior art solutions that help to prevent the slippage of shoulder straps have, generally, been directed to providing padding to reduce the pressure of the strap on the wearer's shoulder—this is particularly true with respect to straps for camera cases and heavier cases, such as for portable computers. The prior art solutions, however, are not particularly suited for high-fashion women's purses, for which most women would prefer a solution that does not detract from the appearance and styling of the bag. Furthermore, the prior art solutions have generally been integrated into or with the shoulder strap during manufacture, and have not been provided for the straps of high-fashion women's purses.

Accordingly, there is need in the art for methods and kits to modify shoulder-supportable bags to reduce slippage of the strap; such methods and kits are preferably adapted for easy modification of straps on a variety of shoulder-supportable bags by purchasers thereof, and such modifications should not detract from the appearance and styling of the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention relates to a kit for modifying the strap of a shoulder-supportable bag to reduce slippage of the strap. An exemplary shoulder-supportable bag has a strap that extends from a first part to a second part of the bag and has a top surface and a bottom surface, a portion of the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag. The kit consists essentially of: a flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member, the foam rubber member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of the strap and a length equal to or greater than the length of the portion of the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag; and, an adhesive member, the adhesive member adapted to fasten the foam rubber member to the strap, having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of the strap and a length equal to or less than the length of the foam rubber member.

In exemplary embodiments, the foam rubber member is neoprene rubber or closed cell foam having a thickness in the range of 1 to 4 millimeters. In a particular embodiment, the foam rubber member is Darico® Foamies™ foam rubber.

In an exemplary embodiment, the adhesive member is a flat carrier having acrylic adhesive on a first side and a second side; the first side is adhesively-couplable to the first side of the foam rubber member and the second side is adhesively-couplable to the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag. The adhesive member can have a thickness substantially equal to 8 mils, and can have an adhesion value of approximately 90 ounces per square inch. The flat carrier can be polyester. In a particular embodiment, the adhesive member is Perm-A-Stick II™ D/C Polyester Tape distributed by Ellsworth Adhesives.

An exemplary method for modifying the strap of a shoulder-supportable bag consists of the steps of: removing a first protective layer from a first side of an adhesive member, the adhesive member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of the strap and a length equal to or less than a length of the portion of the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag; affixing the first side of the adhesive member to a flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member, the foam rubber member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of the strap and a length equal to or greater than the length of the adhesive member; removing a second protective layer from a second side of the adhesive member; and, affixing the second side of the adhesive member to the portion of the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag.

The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the principles of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments that follow. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the disclosed conception and exemplary embodiments can be used as a basis for designing or modifying other structures and methods for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention, and that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form, except as specifically limited by the claims recited hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art shoulder-supportable bag;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary shoulder-supportable bag according to the principles of the invention; and

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the elements of a preferred embodiment of the invention for modifying the strap of a shoulder-supportable bag to reduce slippage of the strap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the invention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended; any alterations or modifications of the illustrated system, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and possessed of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention as claimed.

To better understand the advantages of the present invention, reference is first made to FIG. 1, which illustrates a prior art shoulder-supportable bag 100. The prior art shoulder-supportable bag 100 includes a bag 101 and a strap 102 that extends from a first part to a second part of the bag and has a top surface and a bottom surface, a portion of the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag. The prior art shoulder-supportable bag includes a pad 103 to reduce the pressure of the strap on the wearer's shoulder. The strap 102 is threaded through, or attached at each end of, the pad 103. For high-fashion purses, for example, the use of a pad is not desirable because it detracts from the appearance of the purse.

Turning now to FIG. 2, illustrated is an exemplary shoulder-supportable bag 200 according to the principles of the invention. The shoulder-supportable bag 200 includes a bag 201 and a strap 202 that extends from a first part to a second part of the bag and has a top surface and a bottom surface. The shoulder-supportable bag 200 includes a flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member 203 affixed to bottom surface of the strap 202 at the location of the strap 202 where the strap will rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag. In contrast to the prior art shoulder-supportable bag 100, the foam rubber member 203 is substantially non-visible when the bag is positioned on a person's shoulder, thereby not detracting from the appearance of the shoulder-supportable bag 200, which is particularly advantageous for high-fashion purses. As will be described with reference to FIG. 3, the foam rubber member 203 can be provided in a kit whereby an end user of a bag can modify a strap to reduce slippage.

Turning now to FIG. 3, illustrated is an exploded view of the elements of a preferred embodiment of the invention, comprising a kit for modifying the strap of a shoulder-supportable bag to reduce slippage of the strap. An exemplary kit consists essentially of: a flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member 301 and an adhesive member 310. The foam rubber member 301 preferably has a maximum width less than or equal to the width of the strap 202 and a length equal to or greater than the length of the portion of the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag. The adhesive member 310 is adapted to fasten the foam rubber member 301 to the strap 202, and has a maximum width less than or equal to the width of the strap 202 and a length equal to or less than the length of the foam rubber member 301. A kit can consist of either a single foam rubber member 301 and a single adhesive member 310, each of which can be cut to fit by an end user, or can consist of a plurality of foam rubber members 301 and adhesive members 310 of different sizes.

In exemplary embodiments, the foam rubber member is rubber or closed cell foam having a thickness in the range of 1 to 4 millimeters. The foam rubber member may be formed from natural or synthetic rubber, such as neoprene, which is a synthetic material resembling rubber that does not deteriorate as quickly as rubber and is more resistant to oil and water. In a particular embodiment, the foam rubber member is Darico® Foamies™ foam rubber.

In an exemplary embodiment, the adhesive member 310 is a flat carrier having adhesive on a first side and a second side; the first side is adhesively-couplable to the first side of the foam rubber member and the second side is adhesively-couplable to the bottom surface of the strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag. The adhesive member can have a thickness substantially equal to 8 mils, and can have an adhesion value of approximately 90 ounces per square inch. The flat carrier can be polyester. In a particular embodiment, the adhesive member is Perm-A-Stick II™ D/C Polyester Tape distributed by Ellsworth Adhesives.

An exemplary method for modifying the strap 202 of a shoulder-supportable bag consists of the steps of: removing a first protective layer 311 from a first side of the adhesive member 310; affixing the first side of the adhesive member to the flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member 301; removing a second protective layer 312 from a second side of the adhesive member 310; and, affixing the second side of the adhesive member 310 to the portion of the bottom surface of the strap 202 adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these steps can be reversed; e.g., removing the first protective layer 311 from the first side of the adhesive member 310; affixing the first side of the adhesive member to the portion of the bottom surface of the strap 202 adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting the bag; removing the second protective layer 312 from the second side of the adhesive member 310; and affixing the second side of the adhesive member 310 to the flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member 301.

In alternate embodiments of the invention, other means can be used to couple the flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member 301 to the bottom surface of the strap 202. For example, the foam rubber member 301 can be sewn to the strap 202, or various suitable liquid adhesives can be applied as a substitute for the adhesive member 310.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention provides significant advantages to the field of shoulder-supportable bags. The principles disclosed herein satisfy not only the desire for easy modification to reduce slippage of a strap for carrying such bags, but also to do so without detracting from the appearance and styling of the bag.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, those skilled in the art will conceive of various changes, substitutions and alterations to the exemplary embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form. The exemplary embodiments presented herein illustrate the principles of the invention and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the form disclosed; it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and their equivalents. 

1. A kit for modifying the strap of a shoulder-supportable bag, said strap extending from a first part to a second part of said bag and having a top surface and a bottom surface, a portion of said bottom surface of said strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag, said kit consisting essentially of: a flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member, said foam rubber member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of said strap, a length equal to or greater than the length of said portion of said bottom surface of said strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag; and an adhesive member, said adhesive member adapted to fasten said foam rubber member to said strap, said adhesive member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of said strap and a length equal to or less than the length of said foam rubber member.
 2. The kit recited in claim 1, wherein said foam rubber member comprises neoprene rubber.
 3. The kit recited in claim 1, wherein said foam rubber member comprises closed cell foam.
 4. The kit recited in claim 1, wherein said foam member has a thickness in the range of 1 to 4 millimeters.
 5. The kit recited in claim 1, wherein said foam rubber member comprises synthetic foam rubber.
 6. The kit recited in claim 1 wherein said adhesive member comprises a flat carrier having adhesive on a first side and a second side, said first side adhesively-couplable to a first side of said foam rubber member and said second side adhesively-couplable to said bottom surface of said strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag.
 7. The kit recited in claim 6, wherein said adhesive member has a thickness substantially equal to 8 mils.
 8. The kit recited in claim 6, wherein said adhesive member has an adhesion value of approximately 90 ounces per square inch.
 9. The kit recited in claim 6, wherein said flat carrier comprises polyester.
 10. The kit recited in claim 6, wherein said adhesive comprises acrylic adhesive.
 11. A method for modifying the strap of a shoulder-supportable bag, said strap extending from a first part to a second part of said bag and having a top surface and a bottom surface, a portion of said bottom surface of said strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag, said method consisting of the steps of: removing a first protective layer from a first side of an adhesive member, said adhesive member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of said strap and a length equal to or less than a length of said portion of said bottom surface of said strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag; affixing said first side of said adhesive member to a flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member, said foam rubber member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of said strap and a length equal to or greater than the length of said adhesive member; removing a second protective layer from a second side of said adhesive member, and; affixing said second side of said adhesive member to said portion of said bottom surface of said strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag.
 12. The method recited in claim 11, wherein said foam rubber member comprises neoprene rubber.
 13. The method recited in claim 11, wherein said foam rubber member comprises closed cell foam.
 14. The method recited in claim 11, wherein said foam member has a thickness in the range of 1 to 4 millimeters.
 15. The method recited in claim 11, wherein said foam rubber member comprises synthetic foam rubber.
 16. The method recited in claim 11 wherein said adhesive member comprises a flat carrier having adhesive on said first side and a second side.
 17. The method recited in claim 16, wherein said adhesive member has a thickness substantially equal to 8 mils.
 18. The method recited in claim 16, wherein said adhesive member has an adhesion value of approximately 90 ounces per square inch.
 19. The method recited in claim 16, wherein said flat carrier comprises polyester.
 20. The method recited in claim 16, wherein said adhesive comprises acrylic adhesive.
 21. A shoulder-supportable bag, said bag comprising: a strap extending from a first part to a second part of said bag and having a top surface and a bottom surface, a portion of said bottom surface of said strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag; a flexible, pliable, compressible foam rubber member coupled to said bottom surface of said strap proximate to a portion thereof adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag, said foam rubber member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of said strap, a length equal to or greater than the length of said portion of said bottom surface of said strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag; and means for coupling said foam rubber member and said strap.
 22. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 21, wherein said means for coupling comprises an adhesive member, said adhesive member disposed between and coupling said foam rubber member and said strap, said adhesive member having a maximum width less than or equal to the width of said strap and a length equal to or less than the length of said foam rubber member.
 23. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 21, wherein said foam rubber member comprises neoprene rubber.
 24. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 21, wherein said foam rubber member comprises closed cell foam.
 25. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 21, wherein said foam member has a thickness in the range of 1 to 4 millimeters.
 26. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 21, wherein said foam rubber member comprises synthetic foam rubber.
 27. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 22, wherein said adhesive member comprises a flat carrier having adhesive on a first side and a second side, said first side adhesively-coupled to a first side of said foam rubber member and said second side adhesively-coupled to said bottom surface of said strap adapted to rest on a person's shoulder while transporting said bag.
 28. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 27, wherein said adhesive member has a thickness substantially equal to 8 mils.
 29. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 27, wherein said adhesive member has an adhesion value of approximately 90 ounces per square inch.
 30. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 27, wherein said flat carrier comprises polyester.
 31. The shoulder-supportable bag recited in claim 27, wherein said adhesive comprises acrylic adhesive. 